​File photo by Jason Reed /Reuters

On May 23, 2019 the EPA released a pre-publication notice of proposed rulemaking that seeks public input on a range of options regarding the regulation of perchlorate in public drinking water systems. The agency is seeking comment on a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for perchlorate to establish a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) and a health-based Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) at 56 micrograms per liter. 

In addition, the agency is seeking comment on three alternative regulatory options:

• An MCL and MCLG for perchlorate set at 18 micrograms per liter.
• An MCL and MCLG for perchlorate set at 90 micrograms per liter.
• Withdrawal of the agency’s 2011 determination to regulate perchlorate in drinking water.

Some states have already established MCLs:

• Massachusetts: 2 ppb (2 micrograms per liter)
• California: 6 ppb (6 micrograms per liter)

To read more about the EPA's proposal and how to submit comments, click here.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created an interactive map of PFAS contaminations that have been detected around the US. Click on the map below to access the ERG site for more information about where PFAS contaminations have been detected.

“These grants will help fulfill a key goal in EPA’s PFAS Action Plan: strengthening science and research in order to better understand the characteristics and impacts of PFAS,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “This funding will also help researchers develop new strategies to further protect our communities and environment from harmful PFAS exposure.”

To read the full article, click here.

​We are pleased to announce that Kelsey Hakes has joined AqueoUS Vets® as the Sales & Business Development Engineer for Southern California and Arizona.

Ms. Hakes has more than 7 years of experience in the water treatment, environmental, and oil and gas industries. Her extensive knowledge base includes: municipal and industrial water systems, GAC and ion exchange media, process control engineering and application metallurgy.  Previous positions included account management, business development, and engineering design at Evoqua Water Technologies and Control Components Inc. Ms. Hakes had direct involvement with specification and solution development, technical trainings, and aftermarket services. As Business Development Engineer, Kelsey will be responsible for all critical aspects of the business including market development, strategic planning and key client management. 

A graduate of the University of California Irvine, Kelsey holds both a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science Engineering. She is a member of the CA-NV AWWA Women’s Leadership Committee.

Aqueous Vets is pleased to announce the award of the La Puente, CA Water Treatment Plant upgrade project for a Fortune 500 aerospace and defense firm .  AV’s capabilities and experience embodied in our proposal were evaluated alongside those from industry incumbents. Aqueous Vets’ offering was determined to be the most technically responsive, with the overall best value. 
 
AV’s scope includes the design, fabrication and site assembly of  four (4) systems employing 320,000 pounds of granular activated carbon to remove contaminants from impacted groundwater. The systems will be designed for both lead-lag or parallel operation.
 
Rob Craw, VP of business development stated, “This award validates the experience and wealth of process knowledge that AV brings to the market. Our capabilities rival that of the long-time incumbents with a fresh focus on intellectual knowledge at the company-client interface. We look to forward to adding this project to a growing list of well recognized clients throughout the United States”

Aqueous Vets is a certified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business. For more information about Aqueous Vets please visit our website at www.aqueousvets.com

We are very pleased to announce that Ms. Sarah Johnson has accepted the position of General Manager for Aqueous Vets®. Ms. Johnson comes to us with more than 10 years of experience in the water treatment and infrastructure industry. Her prior positions included Director of Applications Engineering for an underground water infrastructure company. Her strong background and experience includes group management, engineering, technical support, and project management. Her extensive knowledge base includes: municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment systems, water infrastructure, distribution systems, and environmental water issues as well as air treatment.

As General Manager, Ms. Johnson will oversee all aspects of Aqueous Vets growing operations while also providing focus on management of our engineering and technical support for client projects. She will be responsible for overall execution of project deliveries and field operations. 

A graduate of Oregon State University, Ms. Johnson holds a BS in Chemical Engineering supplemented with additional studies in organizational management, finance, regulatory compliance, safety, and human resources.

Aqueous Vets’ technology partner Integrity Municipal Systems (IMS) recently completed a project for the Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD), the second largest water district in Orange County, CA, providing services to more than 155,000 residents and businesses. As new developments were planned near SMWD’s 9.0 MGD Chiquita Water Reclamation Plant, the District initiated plans for enhanced odor control solutions. A critical objective of this unique project was use of a sustainable and proven odor control technology to minimize the possibility that odors from the primary treatment process would impact residents near the plant. Timing was also a crucial factor, requiring the system to be designed, fabricated, installed and started up within 12 weeks after the issuance of the purchase order.

The District selected IMS’ proven technology to meet this need. The selected IMS biological odor control system replaced an existing 24,000 cfm chemical scrubber system with IMS’ two-stage system.   Stage 1: IMS I-BOx® 8025 (Biological Odor Control) unit providing the benefit of low O&M costs while eliminating chemical handling. Stage 2: IMS BCS-1000 unit delivering secondary odor control using a media blend of both activated carbon and potassium permanganate to ensure an overall odor compound removal efficiency greater than 99.5% - polishing off any sharp H2S spikes before exiting the system.

The IMS system provides maximum value, measured by performance and reliability as well as capital, installation, operation and maintenance costs. To read the full project profile, click here.